Abandoned Mediterranean Resort: Varosha Quarter in Famagusta, Cyprus

In the early 1970’s Varosha, Cyprus was one of the Mediterranean’s most glamorous and popular tourist destinations. An upscale quarter in Famagusta Bay, its bright blue waters and beautiful sandy beaches were draws for such celebrities as Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Raquel Welch, and Brigitte Bardot among others.

Population eventually grew to about 39,000, but by the end of 1974 the town would be conquered by Turkish troops, fenced off completely, and be left with a population of zero.

Today the former millionaire’s playground resort still stands vacant and fenced off, guarded by Turkish soldiers and unlikely to re-open anytime soon.

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Varosha, Cyprus

The island of Cyprus has been the subject of a constant tug-of-war battle between Greece and Turkey for centuries.

Until recently, both Greek and Turkish Cypriots had managed to coexist on the island – albeit not always peacefully.

But in August of 1974, the Turkish military seized the predominantly Greek Varosha quarter of Famagusta and changed the course of the island’s history forever.

Residents – fearing being slaughtered by the advancing tanks – fled the city with only the clothes on their backs, leaving all possessions behind. Other sections of Varosha Cyprus were bombed by the Turkish air force, destroying many buildings.

Once the Turks gained control of the area they fenced it off, and have since refused admittance to visitors and former residents.

(click thumbnails to enlarge)

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Varosha Cyprus Left to Rot

Homes still have closets full of clothes, cabinets full of dishes, and there is even a car dealership still stocked with ‘brand new’ 1974 model-year cars.

Dozens of hotels along the coastline sit empty with broken windows exposing fully-furnished rooms to the elements.

Countless cars sit collecting dust in garages. There is even a construction crane still towering above the skyline, the hotel it was constructing also frozen in time and never finished.

So why is the area still barricaded and patrolled by Turkish troops? Varosha is protected by a 1984 UN Security Council resolution that states the empty town can only be resettled by its original inhabitants.

This resolution has prevented Turkish authorities from re-opening Varosha as they are in no hurry to return it to the Greeks.

Some speculate Turkey is holding Varosha as a bargaining chip for future concessions from Greece.

Until Turkey relinquishes Varosha, it will continue to be battered by the elements and slowly crumble over time. Turkish troops still patrol the region and trespassers are imprisoned or executed.

Troops are authorized to use lethal force, so enter at your own risk.

No official visits have been granted into Varosha, Cyprus. Most of the photographs we have are from bold photographers brave enough to jump the fence and risk personal harm eluding Turkish troops in order to snap pictures.

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The Future

The future is not bright for Varosha, Cyprus; the entire city is beyond repair. Experts have pointed out forty years of unmaintained exposure to the elements has taken its toll on the structures.

Engineers assert the city would have to be completely torn down and rebuilt as nearly all of the buildings are unsafe and have major structural damage.

Roads are cracked with overgrowth, water pipes underground have disintegrated, the sewage system has crumbled, and the power grid infrastructure is now antiquated.

Rebuilding Varosha would require a complete razing. Perhaps that is a contributing factor to why, at this point, there is no rush for a resolution.

Great compilation! However, there is a Turkish casino inside Varosha and a UN post. I can also tell that merely all of the houses have been looted by the Turkish troops over the years. Hence, the statement, dishes are still standing where they’ve been left is true for the 70ies, but nowadays only things that can not be cashed are still in Varosha.

i went here via boat when visiting Cypress, obviously they could only get so close but it was really eirely creepy. There wasnt just one crane but around 5 or 6 i could count, shame on Turkey for being stuborn – they should do the decent thing and hand it back immediately.

It is meant to re open on the 1st July 2012, the houses are to be reclaimed by the rightful owners only, the only down side is turkey want it to be under TC administration. I don’t think that the GC will go with that ( who can blame them) so it may stay closed
Only time will tell.
All I can say on the matter is give varosha back to the Greek people as turkey never wanted it in the first place, they were told to take it by the USA

It is meant to re open on the 1st July 2012, the houses are to be reclaimed by the rightful owners only, the only down side is turkey want it to be under TC administration. I don’t think that the GC will go with that ( who can blame them) so it may stay closed
Only time will tell.

All I can say on the matter is give varosha back to the Greek people as turkey never wanted it in the first place, they were told to take it by another high powered country

There are villages where all the Turkish men and boys were slaughtered. Remember Srebrenitza?? Please read the real history instead of propaganda. The Turks have always maintained a dignified silence over what really happened.Sadly.

Michael C-we know that terrible atrocities have been commited in Cyprus in the past by BOTH sides and don’t deny it but this still does not excuse Varosha being kept hostage by the Turkish Army,which is what the situation here is?Two wrongs NEVER made a right and that applies everywhere!

Well done your right about that the Turks aren’t entirely to blame and nor are the Greeks. The deaths of the Cypriot people’s Turks and Greeks can be rested on the shoulders of a certain noble peace prize winner. I lived there for 5 years and have friends on both sides of the island.

This article is so biased it takes my breath away!!!! Firstly the Turkish army did not invade Cyprus and steal Varosha – they intervened to stop the Greek Cypriot terrorist organisation EOKA from slaughtering innocent Turkish Cypriot people. The problems did not begin in 1974 as this article implies, systematic genocide had been taking place in Cyprus against the Turkish Cypriots since 1960 when the British withdrew their control and Cyprus became independant. The Turkish intervention was a direct retaliation to a military cue by the Greek army who were determined to wipe out the Turkish Cypriot community! People should read the true history of what happened in Cyprus before making judgements. I am lucky enough to live on this beautiful island and it makes me very sad to still see it as a divided community after all these years, but just to set the record straight – it was the GREEK CYPRIOTS, not the Turkish Cypriots who voted against the Annan plan, which would have restored Varosha back to them. They were not prepared to compromise, they still want the whole island to themselves, the bigotry being all on their side and there will never be a settlement here until they acknowledge the fact that the Turkish Cypriots have as much right to Cyprus as they do.
Turkish Cypriots have lived under the shadow of embargos for over 40 years because the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus is not recognised as a legal country, but in spite of the fact that they were forced out of their homes in the south and settled into enclaves with nothing, they have restored their lives and I am proud to live amongst them. They are caring gentle people who just want to be seen as part of the world community. However, that is unlikely to happen while ever the Greek Cypriot propaganda machine is able to convince the world through articles such as this one, that the Turks are murdering dogs who stole their island! Not true!!! Read the true, unbiased history !!!

Here here Hopkic and as if Varosha was a threat to the Turkish Army?????? We all know that TC’s were also displaced but then how does that give Turkey the right to import mainland people from Turkey as well as numerous others. What gives them the right to vandalise churchyards and graves????? Admittedly i would suggest the young men in the Turkish Army are far different from the scum in 74 but even so,no excuse for idiscriminate killing of civilians and bombing hotels.

I did not know the history that you have highlighted. I was guilty of being pro Greek until now but you have certainly opened my eyes to things I was unaware of and encouraged me me seek the facts rather than be told propaganda. I will study this issue with an open mind. I’ve visited many places in Greece and turkey I find both nations and their citizens hospitable and worthy patriots. Unfortunately we live in a world where no nation, culture or society is completely free from wrong doers. I’ll continue to judge individuals on their merit and to avoid generalisation of nations. Thanks again for your enlightening info.

Hey, Pam Schofield, i guess you forgot to mention the most important part of all which is that the Turkish invasion and occupation and the self-declaration of independence of the TRNC have been condemned by several United Nations Resolutions. The Security Council reaffirms this every year. So before you get into making false claims about the good intentions of the Turkish government that has slaughter so many innocent families, I suggest you get your head off of your rear end, and do some more research, because if there is a biased point here, then that is certainly yours.

Pam Schofield: you are vermin, nothing more, nothing less. You are criminal living on stolen land in the occupied areas attempting to justify your criminal activity. You, and people like you, take up fanatic Turkish nationalist positions in your attempts to justify your criminal activity.

The narrative of ‘systematic genocide’ is so laughable that it is not even brought up in serious circles (indeed, the only genocide which has ever occurred on Cyprus is that against the Greeks of Cyprus – and it is ongoing). International law does, however, declare the so-called ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ illegal along with the Turkish policy of colonising the occupied areas with Turkish settlers to change the demographics of the island in Turkey’s favour. The Turkish invasion of Cyprus was the culmination of two decades of Turkish aggression and violence on Cyprus, consistently aimed at one thing and one thing alone: the partitioning of Cyprus.

Tim,whilst i understand your anger and i partly agree with what you say,let us not forget both sides have commited atrcities in the past but this indeed does not give Turkey the right to do what they did in 74.I was lucky enough to experience Famagusta in 73

I do agree with the comments wrote by Pam.however this does not excuse the systematic looting of Varosha by the Turkish Army and the subsequent decay of the area. I stayed in an apartment block in 1973 next to the sandy beach hotel which is where the turkish army reside today. i remember how it was and even today it would be the best resort in Cyprus had it been maitained.

The Turkish army didn’t loot varosha it was the local people of several nationalities the governors shut the place down to stop it from happening. Reading some of the posts here makes it clear there is still a lot of confusion as to what happened and why. Look to other countries round the world that have had a specific agency destabilise them and puppets set up to rule usually with disastrous results and you will find the truth, Cambodia, chile, Iraq to mention a few.

Written by a non-journalist I guess by the inaccuracies: ‘Turkish troops still routinely patrol the region and trespassers are imprisoned or executed; troops are authorized to use lethal force’ … executed? lethal? Oh come on, this is so untrue as to be fiction. If people refuse to accept the non admission signs and enter the area then they deserve to be imprisoned overnight or fined.
And if the statement of ‘have since refused admittance to anyone except the Turkish military’ were true why have we the photos in the piece and so many Youtube films of recent visits to the Ghost Town?
I am afraid that it is not down simply to a Turkish Invasion or Peace Mission to rescue the Turkish speaking population – but really down to the inability of the two island peoples to live together and share the governing of the Island.
All the years spent in UN supported discussions have so far still not led to a ‘coming together’ … and [in my view] the Annan Plan was a good offer.
People who used to visit Varosha/Maras that I have talked to complain that there was a mid afternoon artificial sunset for those on the beach as the sun passed behind the tops of the multi-storey hotels. It was, apparently, not all ‘heaven on earth’.

When you admit your government slaughtered 1.5 million Armenians in 1915, the amount in Cyprus will be insignificant. EOKA fought for freedom the wrong way, and some Greek Cypriots were killed for opposing it as well. If you knew your history you’d know this. Remember. You have 40000 turkish troops in Cyprus. We have an army of 12000.

Peopl people at the end of the day,atrocities were commited by both greeks and turks alike but as painful as history is i think there needs to be a way of looking forward. My view is that the Annan plan was an ideal opportunity to save Famagusta and prior to this i think the TC’S should have ran the area after 74 rather than let it decay. It should have been under UN control until as such times an agreement could be met. The facts are though that the Turkish Army was only supposed to advance as far as the old city walls but as soon as it became apparent that the GC’S had fled,the Turkish Army advanced taking over the whole of Varosha including private houses. I think at this point the UN and the British forces should have stepped in to protect all property. If you delv a bit further then you will find out that the British Government at the time was ready to send a task force to fend off the Turkish invasion but this was halted by the good old US of A. I think the greeks.turks,british and americans are all guilty of letting the Varosha area become the sorry state that it is today.

You can visit the site we started about Varosha on Multiply.com-as a former resident,I have to say that no way can it now ever be re-inhabited and will have to be completely rebuilt-and there is no denying that Turkey and the Turkish Army command are responsible for allowing it to deteriorate into this state!By classifying it as a ‘military area’ this means that access is barred to everyone except those with permits from the military and tresspassers are arrested,tried and fined,but not shot admittedly!Even the Turkish Cypriots who live in Famagusta think that it should be returned to its original owners because they know this would create jobs and progress for everyone,as well as a big step towards confidence building which is needed to solve the Cyprus question……Turkeys refusal to allow this unless all their other demands on Cyprus are met first is a reflection of the mentality prevailing among the leadership of that country,which still aspires to join the E.U!So sorry Pam but it has nothing to do with past atrocities among the two communities here at all and as the Turkish Cypriots will tell you themselves,they have no control over Varosha or many other things in Northern Cyprus where they are already outnumbered by mainland settlers!In the 21st century and in a Commonwealth state and E.U. member the continuation of Varoshas plight is an affront to decency and human values but of course the Cypriots,both North and South have no power against the might of larger countries,especially when they are backed by the most powerful ones on earth…..
After so many years,Varosha has become a symbol of the stupidity and injustice which prevails on our planet in so many places.

Why should it be handed back? The Geek Cypriots have spent the last 50 years forcing their propoganda on to the World about how hard done by they are when they were the originators of the problem and continue to push the embargos on the north of the Island. Recently a Turkish womens volleyball team was attacked when visiting Greek Cyprus as was a Turkish singer. i’m afraid that things cut both ways and until the Geek Cyrpriots cease their endless whining and allow trade in the north to open up Varosha should remain as it is..Tit for Tat comes to mind and the GC’s had their chance with the Annan Plan which THEY rejected!!!!!!!

Graeme,I’m sorry that you see the situation this way and would kindly point out that the majority of Turkish Cypriots would not agree with you either-in fact,there is even a signature group of intellectuals and other Turkish Cypriot people from Famagusta who are openly campaigning for Varosha to be returned to its inhabitants,and also for the operation of Famagusta port under interim E.U. control for direct international trade,which the Greek-Cypriots accept as well:recent reports say that even Eroglu has not refused to discuss the idea,something he always did until now?So maybe there is some light at the end of a very dark tunnel….Meanwhile,have you ever been to Varosha and seen the state it is in?There is no justification for allowing such a tragic and stupid situation to continue and I’m sure you know this?It is also a sad fact that Varosha was looted by the Turkish Army immediately after they captured it in August 1974 on a haphazard basis and then systematically in the summer of 1975 and millions of pounds worth of moveable property were then sold off or kept by those involved!The U.N. have detailed reports from the SWEDCON observers who manned outposts in the closed area of Varosha at that time-nowadays it is the Slovaks who have the job.In the 1980’s when I managed to make two short escorted visits with the Austrians who were then responsible,I saw for myself the reality and it was heartbreaking then-over two decades later,conditions there are obviously much worse.If you live in the north or have good contacts there,I would suggest you try to get permission for a visit yourself via the Turkish authorities and you will then be able to reflect and post again about how you feel?Concerning the Annan Plan,I know a number of Greek-Cypriots who voted ýes’ but if you have the time and interest to read it,you will see that there were no guarantees that it would be implimented and this is what caused the most concern to people on the Grek-Cypriot side, especially as the exisiting government would have been dissolved immediately it came into force,while the territory would only be returned in stages and even Varosha was not until 100 days later-judging from Turkeys record previously when they did not impliment the 1975 Vienna Agreement which was supposed to guarantee the Greek-Cypriots in the Karpas the right to stay there in conditions of security,only to co-erce most of them out the following year,can you really blame people for having serious doubts?Even more so when it was later revealed that Turkey only accepted the Annan Plan knowing that it contained provisions which made it impossible for the Greek-Cypriots to and further more,that the military elite were planning a coup against Erdogans government if the Annan Plan had been ratified by both sides?This is not mere propaganda by the Greek-Cypriots but is widely known in Turkey and Northern Cyprus….. and on a closing note for now,harping on about the past does not inspire confidence to build a better future.Also visit the site on Multiply.com return to Varosha and see for yourself the evidence we have collected about Varosha since 1974,with the help of some very kind and sympathetic Turks and Turkish Cypriots who are equally distraught about its situation.Do feel free to post openly and frankly-this is what the forum is for.

Bravo!!!!! Well said Martin. I echo many of your sentiments and it really is a crime to let this paradise continue to decay. Although i was only 11 when i stayed there,i have some very vivid sharp memories of how it used to be. As far as im concerned there is no excuse the Turkish Army can use for bombimg and looting Varosha. Such a great pity that the Yanks stopped our Callaghan goevernment who was ready to send us brits to stop the Turks from invading. However i do believe that the Greek Cypriots are cutting off their noses so to speak. Aplace of interest is ‘Anita’s View Point’ which is in a village called Dherynia which ia very close to the boder with Varosha. There you will find very enlightening information and Anita (besides very good looking) is a former resident of Varosha.

Thanks Mike!Actually since April 2003 anyone can now cross the border at Ay Nic and drive a few miles into Famagusta(watch for the Turkish speed cameras though!) past the walls and port and then park next to the ruins of the Salamina Tower Hotel where fence is(this is the one which collapsed in the 1974 air raids and is shown on the video clips)-from there you can walk along the beach as far as the fence where the Phaliron restaurant ruins are and look along the coastline past all the hotels,even with binoculars if you wish but no photos are allowed and the guard on the roof will shout at you if you try to use a camera!Along the beach about half a mile is the hotel Sandy Beach where you can see Turkish Military personnel and their families swimming in summer as they use it and the adjacent area as a holiday billet!There are some very good photos of it on the multiply.com return to Varosha site and as you can see it is in good condition and the beach photos could almost have been taken pre 1974……..To get permission to go in there is virtually impossible and only if you are high-ranking British Military or U.N. and get invited by Turkish Military staff,or senior diplomats who apparently are allowed two visits during their period of service in Cyprus.Most of the rest of the closed area is not permanently inhabited,except for some vital pumping and electricity installations,banks and churches and foreign consular buildings which have guards.The regular patrols and U.N. observers who man several points use specified access routes which are clear from the Google earth aerial photos where the asphalt is clearly in good maintenance and not overgrown.Away from the seafront area,the perimeter fence is not apparently well guarded and in quieter,back-street areas people have made clandestine visits…….I know of several who have been in and out but don’t want to compromise anyone by writing more openly on this forum so will keep this for private correspondance with those who want to know more.General advice,it is very risky,firstly because the Turkish Army class it as a grade ‘A’ military zone with severe penalties for tresspassers and secondly because many buildings are now unsafe if entered and may also contain some nasty wildlife such as rats and snakes etc. as well as unexploded ordnance from 1974 which has still not been cleared!

Martin, thanks so much for your insight here. I was eight years old at the time of the turkish invasion in 1974, and lived on Hespirides Street in Varosha, Famagusta. Those dark days are still vivid in my memory, as are the wonderful memories of a childhood growing up in that beautiful place prior to the war. I sincerely hope that all of us can return one day, regardless of the hate and politics and propaganda. Regards, Dave. tower_studios@hotmail.com

Thanks for your comments and recollections.Even if by some unlikely miracle Varosha is ever returned,it will sadly have to be demolished and totally rebuilt,just as this report rightly says.It will never be the same again,not only because of the buildings but because many of the people who used to live there have died since 1974 and their descendants have never known life in the town.Morale in Cyprus is very low among most people at the moment anyway,mainly due to the economic situation here and prospects are for worse to come,at least for the next few years.The Cyprus question has been sidelined because of this,at least until after the election next February and meanwhile,Turkey are in no mood for a deal anyway with the leader in the north saying again only yesterday that he sees no prospects of a solution even after the election because minority nationalist parties will be in the new government on this side which oppose any compromise on the lines which have been discussed:he says that the talks are dead anyway and it’s time for the north to upgrade its status and get some kind of recognition which will at least allow them direct trade links etc.
A pretty grim prospect for everyone I’m very sorry to say…..

Thanks again for the comment Martin. It’s great for people who may not know about the background to this tragic story to come on to this site and gain an insight into the issues behind it. Yes, the economic situation in Cyprus is bleak at the moment, with the Cypriot banks loans to Greece tying the island in with the Greek economy, plus the general economic climate worldwide. In these circumstances, even if Varosha were opened up tomorrow, there would be little money in the pot for reconstruction from within Cyprus anyway, and I don’t even want to think about where the money would come from otherwise. Added to this of course, the carrot of EU membership and especially future entry into the eurozone, has lost much of it’s sparkle as a bargaining chip with the Turkish government for now. However, I will always hold out hope that one day the political will can exist that will unite Cyprus once again in peace and prosperity for all it’s inhabitants, and that one day Varosha will rise from the rubble in one form or another and reclaim it’s former glory. Call me a dreamer, but I would love to walk again on that beach and in that vibrant town where I spent so much of my childhood. Regards, Dave

Thanks for your interesting reply Dave and I fully share your sentiments.Actually,the U.S. have been discreetly promoting the idea of an OPEC area in the East Med. recently which would include Cyprus,Israel,Egypt,Turkey Greece and Lebanon who would all co-operate mutually to share their oil and gas resources etc.The principle is that this way all the outstanding political differences between them-Cyprus and Turkey being a very good example,would be resolved as part of this process,creating a win-win situation for everyone that would have a positive effect on the whole region,including the Middle East with the Palestinians etc.Quite frankly it is the best suggestion anyone has come up with for decades and is probably the only way out of the problems which have plagued this area for so long!The Americans also warned that the alternative is the increasing risk of potential conflicts over long-standing differences which would be disastrous for everyone ,even more so with Syria in such a terrible mess etc…interestingly enough,quite recently when Christophias promoted his idea of Varosha being returned again,in exchange for opening the port under E.U. control and allowing Turkey to open some more accession chapters in the E.U. negotiations,the Turkish Cypriot side suggested they form a joint committee to discuss how the revenue expected from off-shore gas etc. could be shared between the two sides on the island,in exchange for which they would make some serious moves on Varosha……Christophias has also said several times that the Turkish Cypriots could benefit enormously from a solution to the Cyprus problem in this way,so maybe there is hope after all at the end of so much gloom and despair?Of course it is ultimately up to Turkey,who have become increasingly verbally belligerent since July when Cyprus started chairing the E.U, but the positive ramifications of such a deal here would extend far beyond the limits of the island..dare we put any faith in it?

Thanks for the reply Martin, that’s fascinating. ‘Oil brings peace to Middle East’ would be a jaw dropping headline for sure! I had heard that there had been natural gas reserves discovered by Cyprus. However, Turkey’s prime minister’s reaction (calling it ‘oil exploration madness’) wasn’t particularly encouraging in terms of negotiation and cooperation. You are right though, an eastern Med OPEC would be a fantastic opportunity to bring peace and prosperity to the eastern Mediterranean, so let’s hope that cool heads can prevail on all sides. Unfortunately, history shows us that those who lust after power are invariably those least suited to wield it, and that those who shout the loudest get heard above the voices of the more reasonable! It’s a pity that so often the shouters are the only ones who want the job. Having said that, the merits of this plan are obvious, so it would take some very entrenched views to dismiss it. The vast majority of people in the region just want peace. With some forward thinking, and some serious walking on eggshells, there might just be a faint light at the end of the tunnel. For the sake of us all, I just hope that those involved give it their best shot. Regards, Dave